Embodiments of the present invention help to reduce the occurrence of read hard errors in a hard disk drive (HDD). According to one embodiment, a HDD rewrites data on all data tracks of a block M when the number of write operations to the block consisting of continuous plural data tracks. The HDD further rewrites data on continuous plural data tracks and adjacent to the block. Since the number of write operations is counted every block, a memory area to register the number of write operations can be reduced.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A data rewrite method on a disk recording surface in a disk drive device, the method comprising: counting the number of write operations with respect to a group of tracks consisting of continuous plural tracks on a recording surface of the disk; rewriting data on each track of the group of tracks and data on a track adjacent to the group of tracks if the number of write operations exceeds a threshold, wherein the rewriting data rewrites data on each of partial tracks of plural tracks at different operation timings; and resetting the number of write operations with respect to said group of tracks to an initial value after said rewriting without maintaining a rewrite count related to the rewriting of said data.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the rewriting data rewrites data on continuous plural tracks adjacent to the group of tracks.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the rewriting data rewrites data on the partial tracks of the plural tracks at a timing of a data write operation and/or a data retrieval operation to and from a predetermined region corresponding to the track to be rewritten.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the counting counts the number of write operations during a seek operation to a track of the group of tracks.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the rewriting data utilizes a variable data set to indicate a region which is to be rewritten, and rewrites data on tracks in the number indicated by the data among tracks adjacent to the group of tracks.
6. A disk drive device comprising: a controller configured to count a number of write operations with respect to a group of tracks consisting of continuous plural tracks on a recording surface of the disk, wherein the controller refers to a data set registered to be variable and to indicate a region which is to be rewritten; a head for rewriting data on each track of the group of tracks and data on a track adjacent to the group of tracks if the number of write operations exceeds a threshold, wherein the head rewrites data on tracks in the number indicated by the data among tracks adjacent to the group of tracks under control of the controller; and said controller configured to reset the number of write operations with respect to said group of tracks to an initial value after said rewriting without recording the rewriting of said data.
7. A disk drive device according to claim 6 , wherein the head rewrites data on continuous plural tracks adjacent to the group of tracks.
8. The disk drive device according to claim 6 , wherein the head rewrites data on each of partial tracks of plural tracks at different operation timings.
9. The disk drive device according to claim 8 , wherein the head rewrites data on the partial tracks of the plural tracks at a timing of a data write operation and/or a data retrieval operation to and from a predetermined region corresponding to the track to be rewritten.
10. The disk drive device according to claim 9 , wherein the rewriting data rewrites data on the partial tracks of the plural tracks at a timing of a data write operation and/or a data retrieval operation to and from the group of tracks.
11. The disk drive device according to claim 6 , wherein the controller counts the number of write operations during a seek operation to a track of the group of tracks.
12. A disk drive device comprising: a controller configured to count a number of write operations with respect to a group of tracks consisting of a track or continuous plural tracks on a recording surface of the disk; a head for rewriting data on the track or continuous plural tracks adjacent to the group of tracks if the number of write operations exceeds a threshold, wherein the head rewrites data on each of partial tracks of plural tracks at different operation timings in the data rewrite operation; and said controller configured to reset the number of write operations with respect to said group of tracks to an initial value after said rewriting without maintaining a rewrite count related to the rewriting of said data.
13. The disk drive device according to claim 12 , wherein the data rewrite operation rewrites data on the partial tracks of the plural tracks at a timing of a data write operation and/or a data retrieval operation to and from a predetermined region corresponding to the track to be rewritten.
14. The disk drive device according to claim 12 , wherein the controller utilizes variable setting data to indicate a region to be rewritten; and the head rewrites data on tracks adjacent to the group of tracks and in the number indicated by the setting data under control of the controller.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
March 26, 2008
November 29, 2011
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.